Matthew Boulton was an eighteenth century manufacturer
whose design sensibility was most influenced by the
popular tastes of the day. In the latter part of the
century fashionable tastes turned to Classical Greece
and Rome for design inspiration. Rather than strictly
copying ancient designs, the aesthetic of the time freely
mixed design elements from a variety of sources. The
beading, leafy swags and medallion with the women placing
a wreath on a bust were all elements that Boulton would
have recombined and used across a range of designs.
It was a design process well suited to his industrialized
approach to silversmithing.